Blog Post
We are over two months into our world of living with the threat of Covid-19. It has been interesting, to say the least. One article I recently read said we now all know what it's like to live during a crisis., even those of us who weren't around or don't remember the terrorist attack of 9-1-1.
No one can deny it is much different than hearing about it from our elders or reading about it in a history book. I'm waiting to read about or watch a documentary about the coronavirus in say, about three years time. By then it's likely many of the facts will have been separated from suppositions and theories concerning the disease, why it was so contagious, what ended it, etc.
We have seen very little of the virus up close and personal in my part of the world. We have had only a handful of cases in our county, although the state of Colorado rates fairly high in number of cases overall. We have been subject to the same rules and regulations.
By reading and listening to those I have found to be reliable sources in the past - those good at separating truth from fallacy whenever possible - plus my own observations, here are a few personal conclusions.
I'll start with local observations:
We live in a small town that sits on a busy thoroughfare, an interstate highway. Yet after almost ten weeks of the virus having gone viral, we've experienced almost nada, zip, in the way of active cases. Two of these, at least, conracted it in larger population areas with close contact over a period of time to carriers. No one has been critically ill.
If this thing were so highly contagious in very casual contact, wouldn't the interstate traffic we see here on a daily basis have made this a hot spot by now? These people stop for gas, food, supplies. They touch things. Most aren't wearing gloves, some aren't wearing masks.
Moving On:
Most of the hot spots are where the population lives or travels in very close proximity to each other; New York City, New Orleans, Detroit, for example.
In New Mexico the reservations have been hit hard, especially the Navajo reservation in McKinley county. It is coming to light many of the residents there were either ignorant of how contagious this virus is, or chose to ignore the warning. Many people do live in close proximity to each other, including large family households, and the incidence among the population of diabetes and alcoholism is high, making this a vulnerable population.
After over 2 months it is taking a while for those areas with a high incidence of active cases to see an easing of the numbers. In spite of all of the mandates in place, people are still passing it on to others.
Almost all of the fatalities - not all but by far the most - are among the old, fragile, health compromised. The virus is indeed a deadly threat for those in these categories.
The governor of Georgia said last weekend easing of restrictions in his state over the past month has not increased their number of Covid-19 cases, but in fact they've seen some decrease.
Sweden made the decision not to put in place stay at home orders or slow down their economy in order to limit physical contact, yet their number of viral victims and fatalities is one of the lowest in western Europe.
At least some of the state governors are willing to entirely sacrifice their economies and ignore the wishes of their people in an attempt to prevent a second wave.
There is a ton of information out there about Covid-19, from where it actually began to what is the best way to over come and how to treat it. Much of it is contradictory.
Here are a couple of personal conclusions:
More people will contract the coronavirus, and more people will succumb to it, no matter how strict the mandates are.
It is crucial to keep those medical facilities dealing with large numbers of coronavirus cases as well staffed and well supplied as possible, to continue to work continuously to provide effective treatments and what support they need to meet all of the medical needs of their community.
We cannot keep people at home and continue to suppress the economy until this battle is won without consequences that will only cause more suffering for the American people.
Finally, we need to remember our blessings, help others as we can, and keep our sense of humor.
As you know, I'm not a fan of the one-size-fits-all shutdowns -- which, in my opinion, do not fit all or even most but only the few high-density communities. At best. We live in a community -- and a state -- that has had few cases and fewer deaths. None of our hospitals have been overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteOur charities have. Especially the food banks, who have handed out more food than ever before while receiving fewer donations from regular sources. Our church has sponsored "Fifth Sunday" food drives for our local food bank, but we have all taken to buying something for the food bank every time we buy groceries.
These days of the Coronavirus are significant history in the making. Someday we will look back and say, "Remember when?" I speak for most people: I cannot wait for that day to come! But I suspect life will be different. It has to be. The economy cannot survive this. It will be different but in the end, who knows, it may be better. We may look back and in spite of the devastating loss of life perhaps our lives will improve in some ways. Maybe we will live a slower less hectic pace. Maybe this will result in less of an assault on our environment and our health. Maybe parents with young children will be able to work from home. Maybe families will be more connected as a result of being together for months. There are many reasons to believe life could be better and reasons for hope.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a lot of sense. It is my observation that the government will latch onto any opportunity to restrict our freedoms. There are numerous examples of extreme consequences for people who are trying to keep their businesses going. It is time to use some common sense and get back to work. I am encouraged to see people starting to fight back and insist on being allowed to get on with their lives. Certainly common sense precautions are in order, but let's also move forward.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your own very interesting and informative thoughts.
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